ANNAPOLIS, Md. -
The Navy heavyweight varsity eight crew came up just shy in its bid to reclaim the Adams Cup from Harvard on Saturday morning in Annapolis. Competing on the Severn River, Harvard clipped Navy by less than a boat length in the varsity eight race, 5:59.3-6:01.3. Penn came in third with a time of 6:11.9.

Harvard's top boat is ranked No. 2 in the latest USRowing Collegiate Poll, while Navy is eighth and Penn 16th.

"It was a very exciting race and was really a sign of the progress we've made," said Navy head coach Rick Clothier. "It shows what we can do if we keep working hard. We still have six weeks to go to keep getting better."

As a team, Navy won one of five races on the day and had four second-place boats.

The first varsity race began the morning's events and was close from the start.

"Harvard got out strong, but then we hung with them and made a nice sprint at the end," said Clothier. "We never let them get too much of a lead and were right with them the entire way."

Like the first varsity race, the second varsity competition that followed was just as hard fought. Harvard won with a time of 6:05.67, while Navy posted a time of 6:06.7.

"We never let them get more than a half-of-a-length lead," said Clothier. "We made several runs and once the race settled, we stayed right with them through the end."

Harvard took the first freshman race with a time of 6:13.96, while Navy placed second with a time of 6:20.09 and Penn third with a time of 6:27.14.

Navy picked up a win in the second freshman race as the Mids cruised across the finish line in 6:19.71, over 10 seconds of second-place Harvard. Harvard clocked a 6:29.95 and Penn a 6:42.3.

In the morning's final race, Harvard's third varsity topped Navy's third varsity, 6:20.35-6:29.0. The Mids' fourth varsity crew finished third by a fraction of a second with a time of 6:29.5 and Penn placed fourth with a 6:50.2.

The Midshipmen will meet Columbia next weekend for the Stevenson Trophy in Princeton, N.J.